PIC Vs BASIC STAMPS
I would like to compare this to using any internet provider againts using AOL. AOL is just easy to use, but the same is tru with any other.
HAving said that... Basic Stamps use a PIC microcontroller (in earlier models) in their circuit
What is inside the Stamp. This PIC is preprogrammed from factory with a BASIC interpreter. Once you write the program in the PC, you download it to the EEPROM chip of the Basic Stamp. So upto here you can picture 2 ICs being used. The PIC in the stamp reads the program from EEPROM and interprets it and act accordingly. There is also a voltage regulator so all you do is put the power on.
PICs can store a program inside them, in their own Flash EEPROM. The stored progam will be run from the inside of the PIC without delay. That makes PIC based circuits faster than Stamps. PICs can be programmed using PIC BASIC PRO... a compiler similar to the STAMPs compiler, with lots of power.
STAMPS are also extremly expensive, and if you break one it hurts, BS1 runs for U$29.oo. You can get a PIC up and runnig for less than U$7-9. The down side you must buy/make/get your own programmer, and buy a compiler or learn assembly.
PICs can do more than a Stamp.... since they have more I/O pins, and they are faster...way faster. Since PIC have flash EEPROM (some don't), you can program-and reprogram as many times as you want... (well not really EEPROM has so many re-writeable cycles, but at least if I remember right is in the 100 thousands). PICs also have build in ports, like serial ports, ADC, PWM, comparators. All for a fraction of the STAMP price.
Good Luck
Ivancho